A Perfect Christmas
by cjgwilliams
Summary: Tobias is searching for the perfect Christmas moment to propose to Tris.


_Merry Christmas everyone! I've been watching way too many Hallmark Christmas movies and it's put me in a sentimental mood, so I hope you enjoy the sugary goodness! I wanted to give my beta a Christmas present so I'm posting this unedited – please be kind haha!_

_This is for the wonderful ladies that the Divergent world brought me. The very merriest of Christmases and I know we'll be friends for many years to come. I hope everyone is having a holiday full of love, laughter and most of all, good food! :-)_

xXx

"And since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" Tris sang along with the music pumping from the speakers set up between the booths of the holiday market. Her fingers were entwined with Tobias' and she was swinging their arms between them merrily.

Tobias shot her an amused look at her off-key rendition. Others around them weren't paying any attention, more interested in the items on sale than a beautiful woman being silly. Her light blue cap with its fluffy ball on top was pulled down to shield her ears from the crisp winter air and her honey blonde hair spilled over her shoulders encased in the puffy light blue coat.

"You keep singing and you might tempt the snow gods," Tobias teased, looking up at the grey sky. "The forecast said there was a chance of snow tonight."

"That would be perfect!" Tris beamed at him. "Can you imagine? Snow for Christmas?"

Tobias snorted. "This is Washington, DC, Tris. Any snow wouldn't last."

Tris stuck her tongue out at him. "Killjoy. For that, you have to help me pick out a Christmas present for your mom."

Tobias resisted a smile. Like he was going to get out of that anyway. "Lead on, MacDuff," he teased.

His hand firmly in hers, Tris made a beeline for the first booth. The small Christmas market was set up along the sidewalk in front of the National Portrait Gallery and was a good way to kill time as the sun set and they could see the National Christmas tree lit up for the night.

Visiting his mother for Christmas hadn't been quite as bad as he'd feared. His relationship with Evelyn was best at a distance as Tobias had been caught between his divorced parents the majority of his childhood. His estrangement from his father meant Evelyn was really his only parent. However, she could be manipulative and overbearing, something Tobias simply could not stand. It was Tris who had insisted they give it a try after Evelyn had invited both of them, so they made the trip from Chicago to spend a week with his mother.

Tris stopped to inspect some cashmere scarves and Tobias stared at his girlfriend. The joy on her face was infectious. She'd loved exploring DC; she'd dragged him to four of the Smithsonian museums in the last two days and had spent the last few hours in the Spy Museum. It had been Tobias' idea to stay in the city to see the National Christmas tree as she had never been to DC during the holidays before. Tobias watched her, a slight smile on his face, as he reached into his pocket to finger the little velvet box he'd been carrying. Christmas was her favorite holiday, why not propose to her beneath the biggest tree in the country?

"Tobias?"

He jolted slightly at the sound of her voice and found her looking at him quizzically. "What?"

She tilted her head slightly. "I said, do you think your mom would like this scarf?"

Tobias looked dumbly at the scarf she held and forced himself out of his thoughts. The cashmere scarf was dark brown in the center and gradually faded to cream at each end. It was simple, elegant, perfect. "Yeah, yeah she'll like that."

Nodding in satisfaction, Tris stepped over to the merchant to buy the scarf. Tobias shook his head slightly, firmly pulling himself into the present. It would not do to have her suspect anything. Tobias had thought about waiting until Christmas Day but had rejected that, in case his mother reacted badly. She'd been excruciatingly polite to Tris, but it was clear she had not quite gotten over Tobias' choice to stay in Chicago with Tris rather than move permanently to DC.

Once Tris had completed her purchase, she pulled him to another booth carrying artwork. Darkness descended as they visited booth after booth, Tris finding a necklace for her mother and a small painting for Will and Christina's new apartment. At the end of the holiday market, they came upon a crowded stand selling churros.

"Let's get a churro," Tris suggested, "We've walked off some of lunch."

Tobias doubted that, but he had to admit, the smell of warm dough, cinnamon and sugar, was hard to resist. Getting in line, he ordered a large one for them to share, along with a couple of hot chocolates. They munched and sipped as they walked the nearly nine blocks towards the White House. Tris sipped at her cup, the steam rising from her peppermint white chocolate framing her face.

Tris loved the stately architecture of the historic buildings they passed. Looking over at the Robert F. Kennedy Justice Department building, she glanced at Tobias. "Do you regret not taking the job here when you graduated a few years ago?" She asked hesitantly.

Shrugging indifferently, Tobias watched the countdown on the streetlight. "No, not really. The Attorney General's Honors Program is a great opportunity, but I would not have made nearly the same money if I'd gone into the government."

As they started across the street, Tris seemed to be in deep thought. Finally, she said quietly, "I know you gave up practicing law at the federal level just to stay with me in Chicago."

"Hey," Tobias said, stopping them and pulling her in front of him. "I didn't give up anything. I wasn't at all sure I wanted to formally practice when I graduated from law school. I only did it because my mom wanted me to finish so badly. I'm much happier working in criminal justice reform. Besides, my law degree comes in handy and I didn't have to sit for the bar right away," he laughed. Growing serious again, he pressed her gloved hand to his lips. "Staying in Chicago was absolutely worth it. You are absolutely worth it." Seeing the smile bloom on her face gave Tobias' heart a lift. He hadn't planned it but now he felt the scene was set. As they continued over to the White House, Tobias fingered the ring box in his pocket. This was going to be perfect.

Seriousness was forgotten as Tris pulled him along the Pathway of Peace, the winding route lined with Christmas trees from each state and territory. They stopped to admire each tree, taking pictures of them in front of the tree from Illinois to post on social media. Finally, they stood in front of the centerpiece tree, a 67-foot tall evergreen, lit from top to bottom with glowing LED lights and a magnificent star.

Tobias watched the play of lights across Tris' face, illuminating her joyful glow. Her gray eyes were wide with wonder and Tobias knew it was time. Taking a deep breath, he reached into his pocket to pull out the ring. "Tris," he began, and she turned to him.

"Listen, asshole, nobody speaks to me like that!"

Tris and Tobias turned at the sound of the angry voices. Not far from them was a couple, standing in front of a small, decorative Santa village, set up at the edge of the White House lawn. People wandering on the street and along the Pathway of Peace stopped to glance over at the arguing couple. The man was practically vibrating with anger and the woman stood, her hands on her hips. Inwardly, Tobias groaned. Great, here he was about to propose, and a couple was loudly breaking up nearby.

Taking a deep breath, Tobias tried to regroup when he heard the man say, "Well, if you'd just fucking listen…"

"No! It's over, dammit! I've had it!" Clearly, the angry woman could care less that others along the street were turning in their direction.

"You are not going to leave me. You are going to stand here and listen to me!" The irate man shouted. Tris squeezed Tobias' arm, her gaze riveted to the drama unfolding dozens of feet away and Tobias clenched his jaw in frustration. His perfectly planned proposal, complete with the romantic and festive mood had been shattered like one of the glass ornaments adorning the trees next to them.

"That's it! I'm out of here!" The woman whirled around, intending to leave.

"No, the fuck you're not!" The man reached down, grabbed one of the fat, smiling elves and used it to smash his now-ex-girlfriend in the back of her head.

"Holy shit!"

"Oh, my God!"

"Jesus!"

People around them gasped and a couple of children began crying, startled by the sudden commotion. Tobias pulled Tris close to him as men ran past them towards the scene. Uniformed Secret Service police grabbed the man and wrestled him to the ground as others tended to his groggy girlfriend. As they helped her to seated position, the woman began screaming obscenities and the clearly agitated police officers tried to calm her down. A crowd of people now gathered near the police, ready to offer their eyewitness account, while others grabbed their kids and began backing away.

Tris looked up at him, her face a mixture of shock and horror. "We should get out of here."

"Yeah," Tobias agreed. Unfortunately, the police were blocking the easiest way for them to get back to the subway, so Tobias pulled her in the opposite direction. He sighed as he glanced back at the scene and realized this was going to take forever to sort out. Dejected, they began walking towards Constitution Avenue, Tobias pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Let's just grab an Uber back to my mom's."

"Good idea." Tris wound her arm around his as they walked away.

Tobias opened the app and tried his best to stifle his disappointment. He'd clearly have to find a new time to propose.

xXx

"Merry Christmas Eve," Tobias murmured into Tris' ear as she sleepily stirred against him.

She chuckled a little. "Merry Christmas Eve to you too," she returned. Keeping her eyes closed, she snuggled back into him, her back pressed against his front. She gave a contented sigh as Tobias pressed little kisses along the side of her face and across her bare shoulder. "Mm, what time is it?"

"Early," he said, between kisses, enjoying hearing her purr beneath his lips. A quick glance at the clock on the bedside table told him he had plenty of time to execute what was on his mind. Turning back to Tris, he began nibbling lightly on her shoulder, his hand slipping under her tank top to cup her breast.

Tris' eyes snapped open and she groaned lowly as he pinched then caressed her nipple. Tobias shifted his hips so he could press against her warm bottom. "Tobias," she groaned as he continued toying with her breast, "we're at your mom's."

"So?" His wandering hand moved down her stomach to slide into her sleep shorts.

She groaned again, her legs parting instinctively to allow his access. "We can't do this here."

"Sure, we can," he teased her, his fingers quick and nimble. "And we should. It's been almost a week."

"I know, but…"

"Think of it as my Christmas present." He smiled against her skin and she chuckled a little, raising her hips to allow him to slide the shorts down her legs.

"So, I should take back that big box downstairs with your name on it?" She teased.

Snorting, he slipped out of his own boxer shorts. "Not on your life."

Her laugh turned into a loud moan as his fingers found her again and she slapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, God, we can't do this! What if she hears?"

Tobias leaned over her to kiss her. "We'll just have to be really quiet," he whispered, draping her leg over his.

In spite of herself, Tris pushed back against him, wiggling her hips and grinning at his sharp intake of breath. "We really shouldn't," she protested weakly, her resistance token at best.

Holding her leg in place, Tobias slowly eased inside her. Tris gasped at the welcome invasion, reaching down to cover his hand with hers and squeezing it. Tobias paused when he was fully seated inside her.

"Oh well, if that's the case, maybe I should just pull out," he murmured into her ear.

"Do it and I kill you."

Tobias chuckled, sliding until he nearly pulled out of her. "You sure?" He asked, sliding in again lazily.

Tris groaned as Tobias moved inside her, excruciatingly slowly. "It's not too late for me to ask Santa to bring you coal, you know."

"Well, I guess I better get my ass in gear, then, huh?" He moved marginally faster, still taking his time, knowing he was torturing her in the most exquisite way. After a few minutes, Tris gave a breathy laugh.

"You're definitely on the naughty list now."

"Can't have that," he retorted and, winding his arm around her waist, began moving more quickly. He kept the pace controlled, not wanting to shake the bed too much and make enough noise to give them away, but still hard enough to soon have Tris panting beneath him.

Tris squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to control the small sounds of pleasure escaping her. She loved making love with Tobias; loved how he moved inside her, loved the combination of ferocity and tenderness and passion he invoked with every touch. But most of all, she loved how much fun she had with him. She wasn't sure she'd known that sex could be fun until she met him and now, she could not imagine living without the pleasure he brought her. She tipped her head back against him and felt his lips brush her temple. "I love you," she whispered, love for him swamping through her.

"I love you more," he returned, his arm tightening around her as he increased his pace a bit more.

Tris felt waves of pleasure washing over her again and again as she climbed towards her peak. She turned her face into the pillow and bit down to muffle the moan she could no longer hold back. As she tightened around him, Tobias' hips stuttered, unable to hold out any longer. He moved erratically, grinding into her as he let go and tumbled over the edge with her.

They lay, snuggled together, allowing their hearts to slowly resume their normal rhythm. Tobias took a deep breath and brushed a kiss against Tris' temple, and she pulled his arm around her tighter in response. "We need to get up," she murmured.

"Yeah," Tobias agreed, making no attempt to move.

At that moment, they heard Evelyn call out from what sounded like the bottom of the stairs, "Tobias! We need to get moving!"

Tris and Tobias laughed together. "At least she waited until we finished, this time," he teased.

Tris rolled her eyes as she sat up. "I'm never going to live down the humiliation of her knocking while we were in the middle of things that first night we were here, thank you very much."

Still chuckling, Tobias eased out of bed. "Hey, at least she didn't open the door. She may not have known what we were doing."

"Small consolation."

Tobias pulled on his boxers and rummaged around in the dresser drawer, pulling out a pair of her underwear and bra and another pair of boxers for himself. Tris slid into her robe and glanced at the clock. "We need to hurry," she noted.

"We could always shower together and save time," he said innocently as he pulled on his robe. Tris smirked and started to respond when her cell phone rang. She grinned at him as he sighed in mock annoyance. "Saved by the bell," he grumbled.

Tris was still grinned as she answered. "Hey, Chris!"

"Didja get it yet?" Christina demanded.

"Oh, things are great!" Tris gushed, glancing at Tobias who nodded. He pressed a kiss to Tris' head and, grabbing his boxers, left the room for the bathroom across the hall. Tris heard the water turn on and, closing the bedroom door, gave a sigh of relief.

"Is he gone?" Christina asked.

"Yeah. And no, he hasn't asked me yet." Tris sat on the edge of the bed, facing the door, just in case. "Things have been complicated. Evelyn has barely left us alone and I thought he'd do it last night but then things got weird."

"What do you mean weird?"

Tris regaled her best friend with the story and by the end of it, Christina was laughing. "Oh, my God, that sounds like the stories Mom used to tell when she was a state prosecutor!"

"All I could think of was Stephanie," Tris agreed, laughing with her friend. "So, needless to say, the opportunity hasn't presented itself."

"Well, you have all day today…"

"No, we're getting ready to go to visit a women's shelter. Evelyn volunteers there regularly and every Christmas Eve, they have a huge party with dinner and presents for the kids. Then, we're going to evening Mass."

"Hmm, that does present a problem," Christina observed.

Tris sighed. "Maybe he won't ask." She'd been waiting all week, anticipating it every quiet moment they were alone together but so far, Tobias hadn't hinted that he was planning to propose.

Christina snorted. "Oh please. What man buys a one carat diamond solitaire just for the hell of it?"

"I'm not even supposed to know about it," Tris pointed out. "Hell, I _wouldn't_ know about it if I hadn't been looking in the toolbox for a pair of plyers!" Several weeks before, Tris had been looking for plyers to pry open a stubborn maple syrup bottle top and had been shocked to find the little velvet box. They'd talked vaguely about marriage, enough for Tris to anticipate his asking someday and Tobias to believe she'd accept.

"The point is the ring exists." Christina's voice softened. "He loves you, Tris, you know he does. Even the guys can see it. Remember how Will, Zeke and Uri were razzing him about being the only one not married and he got all cagey?"

"Yeah, that's true. And what does it matter when he asks? He's probably waiting for the perfect moment and right now, that doesn't look like it's coming." Tris laughed a little. "Besides, a New Year's Eve proposal would be romantic too."

"Well, if he's looking for privacy, Tori and Bud's annual New Year's party sure as hell ain't the place!" Christina laughed.

Tris started to reply when she heard the door to the bathroom open. "Shit, I gotta go, here he comes."

"Okay, good luck! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas." She hung up just as Tobias opened the door.

"Bathroom's all yours," he said.

"Oh great, I'll just be a minute." Tris bundled up her stuff and hurried to the bathroom before her face could give away her conversation.

xXx

Tris enjoyed herself far more than she'd anticipated. The shelter was a converted farmhouse, nestled in a quiet neighborhood in the Maryland suburbs and they spent several hours turning it into a Christmas wonderland, complete with a huge Christmas tree, a fake fireplace with stockings for each child currently staying at the shelter and a model train set depicting a traditional small town white Christmas. They decorated, wrapped presents, baked and decorated cookies with the kids and topped it off with a huge turkey dinner. The highlight of the night was a visit from Santa Clause, a retired Rockville police officer who handed out small toys to each child.

Tris and Tobias weren't regular church goers, but Tris enjoyed the evening Mass at Evelyn's regular Catholic church. The atmosphere was joyful and welcoming, and the priest made sure he ended in exactly an hour, joking that there were cookies and milk to put out for Santa.

Once back at Evelyn's, Tris and Tobias sat alone together on the couch in front of the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, glasses of eggnog in hand, while Evelyn puttered in the kitchen, preparing snacks. Tris snuggled into his side and sighed contentedly.

"It was a really nice day," Tris observed.

Tobias nodded. "Yeah, it was. I wasn't too sure about Mass, but it wasn't bad."

Tris squeezed his hand. "I know your dad tainted a lot of those memories for you," she said quietly, "but I'm glad you're giving your Mom the traditional Christmas stuff she wanted."

"It's past time to put those ghosts of Marcus and his abuse to rest," Tobias said. "I'm ready to start a new chapter and I don't want to be weighed down by the past."

"Christmas is a good time to look forward to the future," Tris said, her heart beginning to beat rapidly. Was this it?

He took the glass from her and placed both of them on the coffee table. Turning to face her, he took her hands in both of his, his thumbs running gently over them. "Tris," he began.

A shriek penetrated the peaceful ambiance of the night.

Tris and Tobias looked at each other and jumped up, bolting for the kitchen. Evelyn had fallen to the ground, her hands bright red. Flames shot up from the back of the toaster oven and licked the underside of the cabinet.

"Shit!" Tobias sprang into action, grabbing the fire extinguisher and pulling the pin. The extinguisher sputtered, and white foam shot out.

Tris ran into the garage and frantically looked for the circuit box. Finding it, she threw the switch labelled kitchen and rushed back in, bending down to help Evelyn to her feet. "Come on, Tobias, we need to get out of here!"

Despite his best efforts, the fire had gotten hold of the wooden cabinets and was spreading rapidly. It caught the edge of the window curtains and burst into higher flames as the small extinguisher sputtered and died. "Fuck!" Tobias yelled. He dropped the extinguisher and with his arms around Tris and Evelyn, they ran out of the front door.

Evelyn was crying as she looked at the smoke pouring out of the house behind her. "Oh, no!" She wailed. Tobias hugged her and she cried out in pain. It was then he noticed his mother's rapidly blistering fingers.

"Mom! Are you okay?" Tobias gently touched them, and she moaned.

Tris hung up her cell phone. "The fire department is on its way." She looked back at the house. "Oh, Evelyn, I'm so sorry."

"At least we got out," Evelyn sniffled.

The next-door neighbor came out of his house and yelled over to them, "Hey, you all okay?"

"No! She's burned! Can you get us a cold towel?" Tobias asked. The neighbor nodded and disappeared back into the house. "What happened, Mom?"

Tears were streaking down Evelyn's face. "I turned on the toaster oven to heat up rolls for some small sandwiches and I heard a popping noise. I went to unplug it and fire just shot out."

The neighbor hurried over, a wet towel in his hands. "Geez, Ms. Johnson, you okay? Need me to call an ambulance?"

"They're on their way." Tris said, taking the cool towel and gently wrapping Evelyn's hands. In the distance, they could just hear the wail of sirens.

Tobias looked back at the house grimly. "Shit. This is a disaster."

"That landlord is an asshole," the neighbor observed. "Wouldn't surprise me if he's been shorting the repairs on this place."

They looked up as the fire truck came racing down the street, followed closely by the ambulance and police. The next few minutes were a blur of activity, the firemen pushing them out of the way and beginning to battle the blaze. Tris and Tobias led Evelyn over to the ambulance and they began treating her hands.

A police officer approached them. "I'm sorry folks, but I need to ask some questions," she said.

Tobias turned to her. "Sure. I'm Tobias Eaton. This is my mom's house, Evelyn Johnson." He gestured to her and she nodded at the officer.

Nodding back, the officer turned to Tobias. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Tobias looked into the ambulance where the medics were treating Evelyn's hands. Tris was perched next to her, her hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "My mom was heating something up in the toaster oven. She said she heard a popping noise and when she went to unplug it, fire burst out of the back. We were in the other room and came running in when we heard my mom scream. We tried to put it out, but the fire extinguisher was little, and the fire caught quickly." Tobias sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Jesus, what a mess."

The officer was scribbling in her notebook. "Do you live here?"

"No, my girlfriend and I are just visiting. My mom rents this place."

The officer looked up. "Do you know the landlord?"

"Um, no. My mom may."

Nodding, the officer turned to the ambulance. "Can I talk to her?" She asked the EMT.

He nodded. "Yeah but make it quick. We're going to transport her to the emergency room, just in case."

"Oh, no, that's not necessary," Evelyn protested.

"Mom," Tobias interrupted, "listen to him."

Evelyn sighed as Tris climbed out of the ambulance and the officer leaned in. Tris squeezed Tobias' arm. "You okay?" She asked softly.

"Yeah." His eyes were on his mom and the officer. He turned back to Tris, his dark eyes full of sorrow. "I can't believe this is happening."

"I know." She hugged him. Tobias buried his face in her soft hair and rocked her gently. They broke apart at someone clearing their throat and turned to see the fire chief standing next to them.

"Hell of a night, huh?"

Tobias gave a small laugh. "Yeah."

"We've got it just about out now." The chief glanced over his shoulder. "We'll let the inspector take a look, but based on what I heard you telling the cops and what we saw, we're pretty sure the wiring is shit."

Tobias' jaw tightened. "My mom said she's had trouble getting repairs done. The landlord is apparently a cheapskate."

The chief snorted. "There's a shocker. We've turned off the electricity to the whole house." He looked between them. "Which one of you flipped the breaker?"

"I did," Tris said, and Tobias looked down at her in both surprise and pride. She glanced up at them. "I was hoping to find another fire extinguisher." Tobias threw an arm around her and hugged her to him. For the first time, he realized she was shivering, and he kept her tucked into his side.

The chief nodded approvingly. "Great thinking. You probably helped keep it from going too far. I am going to have to keep you all out until the inspector comes in."

Tobias had a sinking feeling. "How long will that take?"

"Even though its Christmas, he'll come tomorrow." He looked at them sympathetically. "Sorry about that."

Tobias sighed and started to reply but the officer interrupted. "I'm done here for now," she said. "The ambulance is ready to pull off."

Tris looked up at him. "Why don't I ride with your mother? You can finish up here and meet me at the hospital."

"Okay, thanks." He pressed his lips to her temple. Tris climbed into the ambulance and Tobias watched as it pulled away.

"It's a hell of a Christmas, isn't it, son?"

Tobias turned back to the fire chief and nodded. "Not the best," he agreed. "Can I get some stuff from inside? We're going to have to find a hotel."

"Sure." The chief clapped him on the shoulder. "One of my guys will go in with you, make sure everything's okay. Come on." Tobias followed the chief into the house. He had no idea how he was going to salvage this trip.

xXx

By the time Tobias arrived at the hospital, Tris was comfortably camped out in the waiting room. She smiled at him as he approached her. "Did you get the paperwork all done out front?"

He nodded as he dropped into a rather uncomfortable chair next to her. "Yeah. Luckily, mom had all her insurance stuff right there in her wallet." Tobias had remembered to grab his mom's purse when he'd packed up a few things they'd need for the night. "Are they going to keep her overnight?"

"No, they're just going to treat her and send her home." She noted the drawn look on his face and her heart constricted. The day was clearly weighing on him and there was nothing she could do to make things any easier. "I found us a hotel room not too far from here," she said.

"Great," Tobias started, then her tone sunk through. He looked over at her. "What's the catch?"

"It's only _one_ hotel room. That's all I could find on short notice." At Tobias' sigh, she said, "At least it has double queen size beds."

Tobias laughed a little. "Well, that's something." He leaned over and kissed her lightly. "That's what I love about you, Tris. You always find the bright side."

She kissed him back, wishing she could deepen it but they were in a room full of people. "I love you too." Settling back, she glanced at the door, hoping his mother would come through soon. "How bad was the house?"

"The kitchen is toast, literally. I managed to get ahold of the property manager from the number in my mom's phone, and he was grouchy as fuck until I mentioned the word _fire_. He started talking, and fast." Tobias shook his head. "The gist of it is the landlord was skirting by on the repairs and the wiring in that house is old, so the fire wasn't exactly a huge surprise. He got me in touch with the landlord and she and I had a nice little chat."

"Uh-oh. What did you do?"

"Nothing. Much." He smiled.

Tris folded her arms beneath her breasts and fixed him with a firm glare. "Okay, so what's going to happen?"

"The landlord's going to let mom out of her lease with absolutely no penalty," Tobias said grimly. "She's going to reimburse her for all our expenses, pay for temporary lodging until mom finds a new place, and give her a nice little settlement."

Tris looked surprised. "The landlord agreed to all that?"

"Yeah. Especially once I mentioned I was Evelyn's son. The lawyer. She didn't seem terribly amenable to the thought of a lawsuit."

Laughing, Tris shook her head. "I should have known." They sat in companionable silence for a moment. "Do you think we should try to change our flight?" She asked.

Tobias sighed; now that he was stationary, he felt fatigue seeping into his bones. "I've been thinking about that. I can always come back if Ms. Matthews," he sneered the landlord's name, "decides to be a bitch but Mom's hands were pretty bad."

"Second degree burns," Tris confirmed, and he sighed again.

"She's not going to be able to use them, then. She'll need help."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. We could stay another couple of days. I don't have classes until the second week of January."

Tobias frowned. "I don't want to mess up your tenure track. The university needs to know you're reliable."

Tris shook her head. "No need to worry about that. I've taught both of these classes before so there isn't a lot of prep I need to do. Besides, I published two papers last year and Molly only published one." There was satisfaction in Tris' voice at outproducing the other adjunct history professor vying for tenure.

"Okay, that's two more weeks. We can work with that."

"No, you will not!"

Tris and Tobias turned to see Evelyn being wheeled into the waiting room by a nurse. Both of her hands were wrapped in white gauze, resting in her lap, and she was frowning. "Changing your plane reservations will cost a ridiculous amount of money. I can't let you do that."

"Mom, you need the help," Tobias reminded her gently.

Evelyn waved a bandaged hand. "I'll be fine. The doctor said I'll just need to apply this antibiotic cream and rebandage once a day. I'll have to follow up with my own doctor but it's no problem."

"There's still the house to deal with, packing, insurance, finding a new place. You can't go back to the rental," he insisted.

"Edward will be home the same day you are scheduled to leave. He'll be happy to help." She continued even though she could see he was poised to protest. "I already called him. He knows everything."

Tobias' jaw tightened at the thought of his mother's boyfriend, but he refrained from commenting. Edward was the same age as Tobias and even though he seemed good for his mom, the 22-year age difference was tough for Tobias to take. "Mom..."

She shook her head. "I'm serious, Tobias. You and Tris go home the day after Christmas as scheduled. Everything will be okay. Now, the police told me we wouldn't be able to go home tonight so where are we going?"

Tris stood and tugged Tobias to his feet. She knew he was stewing over his mother's boyfriend but there were more important things to be done. "We've got a hotel room. We'll all be in one but considering it's Christmas Eve, that's the best we could do."

"We'll make do, then," Evelyn forced a smile. "Let's go. I'm tired and I bet you two are too."

Tobias shook himself out of his temporary stupor and nodded. "I'll go get the car." He strode out, leaving his mother to Tris. The cool air actually helped, cutting through the fog of exhaustion that had begun to settle on him. The adrenaline was wearing off, he realized, and knew as soon as they got to the hotel, he'd crash hard.

Pulling up in front of the emergency room door, he hopped out, opening the door so he and Tris could settle Evelyn in the back. Once Tris was inside, she gave him the address of the hotel and they were off. As they drove, silence descended, and Evelyn soon was dozing. After glancing back at her, Tris lowered her voice and said, "What will we do about tomorrow?"

"I'm sure we'll be able to find a restaurant or something that's open. We'll just do that. I did grab the presents so that's something. I told the property manager I'd meet him at the house. He wants to see the damage himself."

"Is that okay?"

"Yeah, the fireman said it was fine. The inspector will be around too and after that, it'll be insurance adjustors and all that." He sighed. "I just want mom out of there."

Tris reached over and squeezed his hand on the steering wheel. "She will be. I gave her my phone and she called Edward." She watched as Tobias' jaw clenched and she felt a wave of sympathy for him. Knowing his mother was involved was one thing but add in the age difference and Tobias was completely uncomfortable. Squeezing his hand again, she continued gently, "She wanted to, and I think it helped, hearing his voice. It sounds like he'll meet her at the hotel and take her back to his house. He gets back before we leave so we'll be able to hand her off with no problem." Tobias sighed and Tris laughed softly, not wanting to wake Evelyn. "Deep breaths, Tobias."

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled as he pulled into the parking lot of the Comfort Inn Tris found.

It was well after midnight when they finally checked into the room and got settled. Tobias went out to the car to haul in the Christmas presents while Tris helped Evelyn get changed into the nightgown Tobias brought. By the time he entered the room, Evelyn was fast asleep in her bed, the painkillers and the excitement from the evening finally catching up with her. Tris and Tobias tried to get the room organized as quietly as possible but exhaustion soon caught up to them too, and, as Tobias had expected, they were asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

xXx

Christmas day was a subdued affair. The hotel didn't have a real restaurant but they did have a small area that served breakfast in the morning and hors d'oeuvres and drinks during happy hour. After breakfast, Tobias made the half hour drive to his mother's, she and Tris choosing to stay in the room. Evelyn tired easily and Tris volunteered to keep an eye on her.

Tobias managed to hold on to his temper as he dealt with the annoying weasel that was his mother's property manager. But, by the end of the visit, thanks to the stern appearance of the fire investigator, Tobias was satisfied that his mother would be well compensated. The wiring in the house was well below standard and he had a feeling Ms. Matthews was going to have a hard time getting her license to rent property back from the city. Knowing there wouldn't be time to come back, he packed up the remainder of his and Tris' luggage and locked the house. His final stop was to the neighbor who helped them the night before, to thank the man and tell him that Evelyn would be leaving.

Luckily, the small restaurant across the parking lot from the hotel was open, and they had a surprisingly nice dinner without having to travel too far. After dinner, Evelyn retreated to the room to call Edward, allowing Tris and Tobias to relax quietly in the lobby of the hotel.

Tris sipped on the mediocre red wine and watched the play of the blinking multicolored lights on the Christmas tree. "It wasn't a bad day," she said. Her eyes swept the gaily decorated lobby. A hotel employee cheerfully served coffee, hot chocolate, beer and wine next to the chafing dishes of finger foods and trays of brightly decorated Christmas cookies. The hotel was doing its best to make the environment a cozy home away from home.

Tobias snorted and took a deep drink of his beer. "It could have been worse, I suppose," he conceded. "You've been one hell of a trooper about this," he said, after a moment. "I'm sorry the trip has been such a disaster."

Tris finished her wine and chuckled a little. "It hasn't been that bad. Even though your mom got hurt, on the bright side, I think she and I have gotten along better than we ever have!"

Tobias drained the last of his beer and chuckled a little. "There's that bright side again." He put his glass on the end table and Tris mirrored his actions. Turning back to her, Tobias took her hands in his again. "Tris, even though this trip has been less than ideal, it certainly was easier to deal with because you were here." She smiled at him as he continued. "Everything is better when you are with me. I don't want us to be apart, ever. So, Tris…Beatrice…"

"What? Are you serious? Yes! Hell yes!"

Tris and Tobias turned to see a man jumping up from a chair, his arms raised in the air in triumph. Across the table from him, a young woman was smiling and crying at the same time. "I'm going to be a dad!" The man announced. The few people in the lobby began clapping and congratulating the couple.

Tobias felt himself twitch.

"Oh, isn't that wonderful?" Tris asked, a huge smile blossoming on her face.

"Yeah," he said hollowly, "that's terrific."

As the commotion died down, Tris turned back to him, her face shining with happiness. "I'm sorry, I interrupted you." She laughed. "That seems to be a habit recently."

Tobias gave a short bark of laughter. "Yeah, it does."

"I'm sorry," she repeated, "go on."

He took a deep breath, "Tris…"

Her phone rang and it was all Tobias could do to keep himself from throwing it across the room. She glanced down at the phone on the seat cushion next to her and looked up apologetically. "It's my parents."

"Go on," he said. "Who knows when they'll be able to call again."

Tris' eyes shone with regret as she answered the phone. "Hi Mom! How's Abu Dhabi?" She forced cheer into her voice as she greeted her mother.

Tobias stood up, gathering Tris' glass and his, taking them over to the kitchenette area where people dropped off dirty dishes. Leaning against the counter, he sighed deeply. Once again, his plans were dashed and he wondered if he'd ever find a time to propose.

xXx

"We are still awaiting an update on the status of O'Hare Airport. We apologize for the delay and will keep you informed." The flight attendant at the gate turned off her microphone and turned her attention to the half dozen anxious flyers in front of her.

Tobias wondered if it would be inappropriate to scream at the top of his lungs in abject frustration. They'd been stuck at the airport for over three hours, waiting to find out if the snowstorm currently dumping snow on Chicago would move along, allowing their plane to take off.

Seated next to him, Tris sighed. The layover in Cleveland made the flight from DC to Chicago a couple hundred dollars cheaper but at that moment, Tris was wishing they'd sprung for the direct flight. "I hope we don't get stuck here tonight."

"God, I hope not," Tobias breathed. "I swear, this trip is cursed," he mumbled.

Tris patted his hand. "I'll admit, it hasn't done smoothly," she conceded. Looking over at the clock, she sighed. "It'll be after midnight before we get into Chicago, at this rate."

"You're right," he said, dejectedly. "I'll call Zeke, tell him we'll take an Uber, see if he can keep Bruce one more night."

"Okay. I'm going to hit the bathroom, okay?"

"Yeah." Tobias watched her walk away and pulled out his cell phone, dialing his best friend.

"Hey, man, where are you?"

"Cleveland," Tobias grumbled. "They have no idea when, or if, we'll be able to take off."

"I'm not surprised. It's a fucking mess out there." Zeke said.

"Can you keep Bruce one more night?"

"You kidding? Me and Shauna love having the bat cat around!" He laughed and Tobias imagined Zeke sitting on his couch, the fat black and gray cat named after Bruce Wayne, curled on his lap. "So," Zeke continued, "all systems go for New Year's? Tori's psyched about turning her party into an engagement party."

"I didn't ask her," Tobias said miserably.

"What? You chickened out? Weak, dude, weak!"

"I didn't chicken out," Tobias snapped. "It's been one fucking thing after another this week! Every time I tried, something interrupted us. I swear, it's like the gods were telling me not to do it. Every time I got the perfect moment, it turned out fucking terrible."

"That's just bullshit, man," Zeke said bluntly. "Whenever you ask, however you ask, it'll be perfect. Just ask her. She'll say yes. You know she will."

"I want it to be something she'll remember," Tobias insisted.

"Yeah, cuz chicks ever forget a marriage proposal."

"Ask her!" Tobias heard Shauna call in the background, and in spite of himself, he laughed.

"All right, all right, I will. Look here she comes. We'll call you if we ever get home."

"Okay, you guys be careful. And ask her!" Zeke hung up the phone as Tris dropped lightly next to him. She leaned her head on to his shoulder and sighed.

Tobias looked down at her, her blonde hair trailing over his arm and thought about all the times she'd snuggled next to him. The first time she'd rested her head against his shoulder, they'd been sitting together on a bench next to the Chicago River, listening to the sound of the rushing water, the noise of the city fading into the background. It had been one of the most peaceful moments of his life. Tobias had looked down at the blonde hair trailing over his jacket and thought about how perfect it looked. It was at that moment, he realized he loved her. Tobias wanted to see her hair on his arm every day, every night, for the rest of his life. Even when that hair went silver with age, he still wanted to see it, still wanted her to snuggle into his side.

"Tris," he burst out and she looked up at him, her blue-gray eyes slightly sleepy.

"Yeah?"

"Marry me."

Those sleepy eyes went wide as she sat up straighter. "What?"

"I've been trying to ask you all week, waiting for the perfect moment. If there's anything this trip has shown me, it's that the only perfect moments I have are when I'm with you." He slid off the chair onto his knees in front of her. "Make this a perfect moment and say you'll marry me."

"Tobias," she cupped his face in her hands and, leaning forward, kissed him. "Yes. Of course, yes!"

He stood, pulling her with him and lifting her into his arms, hugging her tightly as joy raced through his veins. Vaguely, he registered the people around them clapping and laughing, and he placed her back on her feet. They looked around, smiling at the people around them who were currently calling out congratulations and well wishes.

Bending down, he unzipped the side pocket of his carry-on bag and pulled out the black velvet box he'd been carrying around all week. "Here," he said, opening the top to reveal the one carat solitaire Tris had accidentally found a month ago. "This is your real Christmas present." He pulled the ring from its box and Tris let him slide it onto her slightly shaky finger.

"Oh, Tobias, it's beautiful." She placed her hand, complete with the sparkling diamond, on his cheek. "And you're right. This moment is perfect."

"I love you," he said, his heart feeling as though it would burst from his chest with excitement.

"I love you, too."

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, we've got word from Chicago. They've got the runways cleared and we are ready to board!" The flight attendant' cheerful announcement spurred another round of applause from the crowd that was still watching them.

Tobias grinned. "Yup," he agreed, "perfect."


End file.
